Hello there! On this page you will find online sources, academic journal articles, and print resources that helped me better understand the why behind play-based-learning and pedagogy.
Online Sources
Excerpt from, “Defining Play-Based Learning”
Written by: Erica Danniels, MEd and Angela Pyle, PhD
“Since the early 2000s, there has been a shift towards recommending the use of play-based learning in early education curricula across several different countries, including Canada,1 Sweden,2 China3 United Arab Emirates,4 and New Zealand.2 This paper introduces some of the key issues surrounding the pedagogy of play-based learning, including defining types of play, perspectives and recent findings regarding the benefits of play, and discussions regarding the role of the educator in play to facilitate learning.”
Excerpt from, “Empowering, meaningful, and joyful: Playful learning in six schools in the United States” | A Pedagogy of Play working paper
Written by: S. Lynneth Solis, Katie E. Ertel, Ben Mardell, Siyuan Fan, Samantha LeVangie, Gina Maurer, and Melissa Scarpate
“With the goal of supporting educators in bringing more playful learning into their classrooms and schools, the Pedagogy of Play USA project conducted research in six schools in the Boston area in the Northeastern United States (U.S.). Considering the specific challenges and affordances of the local educational context, we examined what playful learning looks and feels like. Based on our research, we found that playful learning in the classrooms we studied is empowering, meaningful, and joyful.”
Excerpt from, “Towards a Pedagogy of Play” | A Project Zero Working Paper: The Pedagogy of Play Research Team | July 2016
“We believe that a pedagogy of play—a systematic approach to the practice of playful learning and teaching—is needed to bridge these tensions. Creating and operationalizing such a pedagogy requires a school culture where playfulness is celebrated, examined, made visible, and better understood as a powerful pathway of learning. Indeed, bringing play into a central role in a school entails creating a culture that values the core tenets of play: taking risks, making mistakes, exploring new ideas, and experiencing joy.”
https://pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Towards%20a%20Pedagogy%20of%20Play.pdf
Excerpt from, “The Science of Learning” | Deans for Impact
“The purpose of The Science of Learning is to summarize the existing research from cognitive science related to how students learn, and connect this research to its practical implications for teaching and learning. This document is intended to serve as a resource to teacher-educators, new teachers, and anyone in the education profession who is interested in our best scientific understanding of how learning takes place.”
https://deansforimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/The_Science_of_Learning.pdf
Excerpt from, “Knowledge Base and Learning” | East Stroudsburg University | College of Education
The Learning Cycle is the process through which students acquire the knowledge base. The Cycle guides learning on different levels, starting with an awareness of information and continuing until students can utilize new information in their own teaching experiences.
https://www.esu.edu/college_education/teacher_education_framework/learning_cycle.cfm
Excerpt from, “A five-step cycle to improve learning in your classroom.” Written by Mike Bell
This short article introduces the ‘five-step learning cycle’ and how it is confirmed by what we know about how brains learn. Successful teachers, consciously or unconsciously, take their students through this cycle. Putting it into practice will improve learning outcomes for students across different age-groups and subjects.
https://www.routledge.com/blog/article/the-5-steps-of-the-learning-cycle
Articles from Academic Journals
“The play paradox: A systematic literature review of play-based pedagogy applied in the classroom.” Written by Annie Paterson
“A Continuum of Play-Based Learning: The Role of the Teacher in Play-Based Pedagogy and the Fear of Hijacking Play.” Written by Angela Pyle and Erica Danniels
Print Resources
